"Nothing special," Dawson replied, and stretched out comfortably on the cross-wise seat. "I was just thinking of how a guy does crazy things when there's something on his mind."
"Meaning me, I suppose?" Freddy challenged with a dark scowl.
"Meaning both of us," Dave replied. "Just these last few minutes. The train slowing down, and whether or not it was Edinburgh station. What do we care? We don't. But we act as though the thing were of great importance. See what I mean, pal? When you've got something big on your mind, it's human nature to grab at something small just for a change of scenery, you might say."
"Yes," Freddy Farmer said.
And that was all he said, for at that moment the compartment door was rolled back and the conductor came inside, rolling the door shut behind him.
"Travel vouchers, please, Gentlemen," he said, and held out his hand.
Both Freddy and Dave dived hands into their tunic pockets, and came out with their respective travel voucher slips. They handed them over for inspection, and the conductor stared at them long and hard. Finally he lifted his eyes and looked at them each in turn.
"These aren't in order," he said with a gesture of impatience. "The date stamped on them is too light. I can't read it."
Dawson was tempted to tell him that that was simply his tough luck. But he decided that a train tearing through the blackout was no place for wisecracks. And after all, the conductor was only doing his job.
"They were stamped today, sir," he said instead. "At the Air Ministry. I saw it done myself. So did Captain Farmer. You can take them as being all in order."